Using metaphors and analogies

Stories have often been called an extended metaphor,…which should be a clue that metaphors and analogies…play a powerful role in making stories better.…In fact, they can not only make a story better,…they're so good, that they can be used…to replace a story entirely.…And that works because your audience has…a bunch of stories already in their brains.…The metaphor attaches your idea and your story…to the existing one that's in their head.…Presto, a great metaphor.…My favorite example of this…actually comes from Disney World.…Most people, most companies,…call their employees employees.…

At a company like Walmart,…they call their employees associates.…But at Disney, they call them cast members.…And they do that for a reason, and in fact,…it's everybody at the park is called a cast member.…Not just the people that dress up…and play the roles of the characters,…the people that sell tickets,…the people that sweep the floors.…Everybody is a cast member.…The reason? Because what is Disney selling?…An experience, and everybody at that park can…

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Released

1/23/2014

Stories can make the messages of any leader more memorable, contagious, and enduring. In turn, learning the art of storytelling can make you a better leader. In this short course, author and corporate storytelling coach Paul Smith walks you through the elements of a compelling story. Learn about the common story structures, power of emotion, importance of surprise, appeal of analogies and metaphors, and value of keeping it real.